Poland: Drone to deliver DIY abortion drugs to women

Polish feminists hold placards during a march of left wing and feminists organizations marking the International Women's day on March 11, 2012 in Warsaw. About three thousand of participants marched trough Warsaw's streets to protest against women discrimination, restrictive abortion law and Government's submission to the Church.Getty Images

A drone will reportedly be set off from Frankfurt, Germany to deliver DIY abortion pills to Poland.

The pills will be sent by Dutch-based non-profit organisation, Women on Waves, founded by Rebecca Gomperts with the mission to bring non-surgical method of abortion to women who are unable to access the services.

Abortion is legally restricted in Poland unless the pregnancy is deemed unsafe for the women or if the foetus is found damaged.

We can't stop pointing out the lack of safe access to abortion and medical abortion pills. It's a violation of women's rights. We have to make every effort to make sure they get that access. In a sense it's a campaign to call attention to the reality for women in Poland. But there's a future for it as a delivery model.

- Rebecca Gomperts, Women on Waves

The World Health Organisation-approved pills will be dropped off in packages on 27 June at a Polish border town with Germany.

"We can't stop pointing out the lack of safe access to abortion and medical abortion pills. It's a violation of women's rights. We have to make every effort to make sure they get that access," said Gomperts, reported The Telegraph.

"We're very interested in the new developments around drones. In a sense it's a campaign to call attention to the reality for women in Poland. But there's a future for it as a delivery model. We might do it in Ireland."

While abortions are available to women across Europe with not so restrictive conditions, Poland and Ireland have very tough conditions that need to be first met.

Women on Waves usually mails the abortion pills to women across the world, however with the drones, the organization hopes to make some noise about women's rights to access the pills.

It is yet to be seen how the Polish government reacts to the drones. While the abortion drone in itself isn't illegal, taking abortion pills is illegal for women in Poland though there is no set punishment.

"There are no regulations or laws that prevent us from doing this or any that say it would be illegal," said Gomperts.

"It's the first time we're doing something like this, so we don't know what the Government's going to do. We're just going to see what happens."